What should be at the top of the stack on your nightstand? Our list of favorite reads.

Still Points North by Leigh Newman

Still Points North by Leigh Newman

Ever stopped to really consider how the woman you’ve become is a result of all the decisions you’ve made, no matter how monumental or insignificant those decisions might have seemed in the moment? That’s the essential message of Still Points North (The Dial Press), Leigh Newman’s memoir about reconciling her childhood in Alaska with her adulthood in New York. “You don’t always know you’re making a choice when you’re making a choice,” Newman says. “Other times, you know you’re making a choice that could determine the rest of your life.” It’s a thought-provoking book, and one you should read with your sneakers nearby: When you’re finished, you’ll feel like you need to go hiking to sort it all out.

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

BFFs forever: You’ll want to be friends with these characters long after you put down the book. Go ahead and get that best-friend necklace for you, Ash, and Jules right now. Plot notes: Six teens—the self-proclaimed “The Interestings”—form deep bonds during a summer at an artsy camp. As they get older, through lies, loves, and losses, the friends outgrow many of their youthful aspirations, but not one another. Kumbaya: For summer-camp veterans, this story is a must-read. You’ll be Facebook-ing your old cabinmates in no time.